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Employers of undergraduates tell us there is a need to turn out students with greater communication and teamwork skills in addition to good horticultural and business training. Field trips are an important tool to expose students to the real world of horticulture. The course “Nursery Crop Production” has adopted a class project that enhances these skills and experiences. Teams of three students each are assigned a production nursery to visit and to bring back documentation to the class in the form of an edited video tape and a written report containing pictures. Their report is presented in class and each student receives a composite video tape and written report of all team efforts. Quality of the reports has been remarkable. Each part of the project (video, written report, and class presentation) is graded independently, with all team members receiving the same final grade. The department has purchased video cameras and editing equipment, which are essential to the success of this educational experience. Student evaluations indicate enthusiasm for this approach and the role of video in the class. Copies of finished projects are returned to each nursery for their information. A collection of these projects is being assembled to provide the Nursery and Landscape Crops Extension Specialist with additional information about the production nursery industry.
Capstone courses generally target students who are nearing completion of their studies, are designed to build on skills acquired in earlier courses, and emphasize realistic situations and challenges that exist in the “real world”. Specific learning goals and course objectives are found to vary across disciplines but most capstone courses provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate a range of professional competencies and communication skills. By incorporating computer simulations, case studies, or research projects, students are better able to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, a learning goal frequently adopted following curriculum review. The goals and organization of “Quality, Ethics, and the Global Environment,” the capstone course in Horticulture at The Ohio State University will be compared to other capstone courses.
Hispanics are becoming the main source of labor in many productive- and service-oriented businesses in the United States, and the nursery industry is one example. Employers invest much time and money into employees, making the employees their biggest investment. However, the educational needs of Hispanic employees have not been adequately addressed, and no formal educational program for Hispanic workers in the nursery industry has been implemented and tested in Ohio. This project has two objectives: 1) measure the impact of a bilingual educational program containing instruction in horticulture and instruction in life skills to a Hispanic workforce, and 2) investigate which type of training is more essential to the stabilization of the Hispanic family unit, technical horticultural training, or training in life-skills. Eight nurseries throughout Ohio were selected to participate in this project. At each of the nurseries, an average group size of 15 employees was trained. Only half of this number participated in the social skills lessons to determine differences between the group who received social skills lessons and the group who did not. Three horticultural topics were selected: basic plant structure and development, pruning, and nutrition. Forty-minute lessons in Spanish with key concepts in English were prepared with the topics mentioned. Three social skills topics were selected: meeting your and your family's needs in the United States, social support in your community, and communication. In order to measure the impact of a bilingual educational program, two tests (The Rosenberg Selfeteem and Index of Family Relationship) were applied before and after the program was performed. A course evaluation was completed by each of the participants after the program was completed.
A 200-level course at Iowa State Univ., Principles of Horticulture, has included a communication across the curriculum assignment for the past seven semesters involving ≈425 students. Each undergraduate student develops and writes an individual student newsletter on topics and for an audience of the student's choice. The semester-long project motivates students to practice a professional communication task, and teaches technical horticultural material and writing skills. The newsletters contain at least two separate articles for an intended audience, providing the students with an opportunity to learn technical information in subjects in which they are intensely interested, but may not be taught in a principles course. Drafts of the articles and newsletter project are peer-reviewed by the students to model the professional review process, provoke critical thinking, and provide students with more feedback than they would otherwise receive from the instructor alone. Additionally, peer-review facilitates writing intensive courses for the instructor who wishes to focus course activities on writing, but has limited time or resources for reviewing writing assignments. Student newsletter articles are selected to be included in quarterly department and extension newsletters, providing students with a real-world use of a communication across the curriculum assignment.
Abstract
Agricultural development requires functional infrastructures, a continued assimilation of old and new technologies, and increased involvement of people who are motivated to create behavioral changes among colleagues and farmers. As educators in graduate training programs, we provide basic horticultural and scientific training. However, we often neglect training in practical farming skills, leadership or administrative skills, communication strategies, and the study of human behavior related to the acceptance of new ideas, concepts, and techniques.
Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) programs are viewed as a plausible solution to poor student communication skills. These programs are further justified on the premise that writing fosters and reinforces learning in any discipline.
WAC programs integrate easily into horticulture. Traditional writing opportunities frequently utilized in horticulture include essays, papers, presentation critiques, lab reports, field trip summaries, business proposals, and cropping schedules. New opportunities might include microthemes and target audience writings.
WAC programs have their own share of pitfalls: increased grading time, reduced course content, ill-equipped faculty to teach language arts, and unrecognized objectives. Ultimately, the success or failure of a WAC program hinges on the commitment of faculty in the discipline who should have the best understanding of the language and style needed to communicate effectively in their field.
Evidence of professional competence is needed for those whose activities affect the well-being of the general public. Graduates of BS and MS programs in horticulture are not distinguishable from self styled individuals who assume the title of “Horticulturist” without earning it. Certification of horticultural graduates is the first step in gaining a recognition for the Horticultural Profession. ASHS has established a Certified Professional Horticultural Sub-Board of the American Registry of Certified Professionals in Agronomy, Crops and Soils (ARCPACS). Professional core requirements include courses horticultural crop management, pest management, soil science, plant physiology, botany, chemistry, and genetics. Supporting core courses include math, communication skills, and horticultural specialization courses. Applications from individual horticultural graduates will soon be accepted. Details of the curriculum, continuing education, ethics, and other eligibility requirements will be detailed.
Experiential learning is an integral component of successful career preparation for the horticulture industry. The limited-enrollment practicum course through Sparty's Flowers has been taught for 7 years, and accounts largely for the overall success of the retail floriculture program. Structure is built into the course by assigning weekly individual learning objectives and assignments. Students, in turn, develop their own action plans, upon which evaluation is based. Interactive group meetings replace formal lectures for more effective instructional delivery. Knowledge retention is enhanced as lessons are experienced, not only heard and read. Technical hands-on experiences of design, display, advertising, recordkeeping, sales, and merchandising sharpen abilities. Professional skills, such as time management, interpersonal communication, leadership, and creative problem solving are also developed and fostered by all members of the class. Practicum instruction, as an example of effective collaborative learning, allows a creative and realistic approach to teaching horticulture.
In a time of budgetary constraints, new strategies have to be developed if we are to continue to meet the demand for home horticulture information. This on-campus event was developed as one of those strategies. The goal of this event was to provide a train-the-trainer opportunity that would equip selected Master Gardeners to assume a larger role in the delivery of home horticulture information. Training needs were determined and included advanced training in insect and disease management, leadership, presentation skills, and computer skills. Educational materials were provided and “graduates” were given the charge of going back to their county groups and sharing what they had learned. Other goals of the event were to provide an opportunity to tour campus facilities, meet key university personnel, and provide recognition and motivation. Sixty-eight Master Gardeners attended this two-day pilot event in May. On-site evaluations were very positive with attendees ranking the educational sessions most beneficial of the activities provided. Year end reporting from the counties indicated that Master Gardeners conducted 82% more public programs in 2004, 49% more home visits and handled 18% more homeowner calls. Part of this substantial increase in program delivery can be contributed to the training these volunteers received at this event. Personal communication with county directors and Master Gardeners indicate that these volunteers are assuming more of a leadership role in the management of the county Master Gardener
The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science at the Univ. of Wisconsin–River Falls was established in 1968 and has evolved into a successful program, placing more than 200 students on internships annually. Much of the program's success has been attributed to the commitment and active involvement of faculty. Each discipline within the College of Agriculture has one or more faculty designated to participate in the program. These faculty are referred to as the Faculty Coordinators. The Faculty Coordinators assist students in identifying work sites, collaborate with the student and employer to develop and approve learning objectives and a special internship project, read and evaluate student's on-going progress reports, make on-site visits with the interns and employers and evaluate the student's overall experience. The program is centrally administered through the Program Director, who reports to the Dean of the College. A Program Assistant provides clerical and office support for the Faculty Coordinators and Director. Six faculty members and the Director serve on the College's Internship Committee, which establishes and reviews the policies and procedures affecting the program. The program provides students with an opportunity to integrate classroom theory with practical experience, explore career opportunities, enhance and develop technical, interpersonal, and communication skills, and develop professional contacts.